The Campaign According to BSG

It's hard not to notice the parallels between some of the key people in this election campaign and many BSG characters.

Senator Barack Obama=Gaius Baltar
Hope. Change We Can Believe In.
A relative newcomer to politics, Baltar wants to run on people's hopes, not their fears as his opponent Laura Roslin is doing. Baltar capitalizes on the social conditions of the time to seize an issue which resonates with the people--permanent settlement on the planet New Caprica. Obama uses the unpopularity of President Bush and the financial crisis to attract voters. Both Baltar and Obama are intellectual heavyweights, and have the ego to go with it. Baltar believes he's the chosen one, destined for greatness and an instrument of God. Obama believes he is our savior as well. Both men have been very careless about who they associate with and who they get advice from. Both men are chaismatic leaders, and very popular with the ladies.



Rev. Jerimiah Wright = Number Six

Barack Obama receives his spiritual advice from the Rev. Jerimiah Wright, who preaches that America's is evil and that it is responsible for causing the attacks of 11 Sept. 2001. Baltar's spiritual guidance comes from an apparition of Number Six, who tells Baltar that humans were responsible for their exile from Kobol because of their barbarism and brutality. Six inspires Baltar to enter politics and helps him discover God's plan for him.

William Ayers = Tom Zarek
William Ayers and Tom Zarek are both former domestic terrorist who now seek to influence politics through other means. In both cases, the other means has involved grooming a presidential candidate.







President George Bush = Admiral Helena Cain

Both are very strong leaders who respond forcefully in a crisis. Both seek to channel anger into the warfighting effort. Both are prone to excess in the use of executive power and are known to bend the rules. More specifically, Bush allowed Kaleed Sheik Mohammed to be transferred to a jurisdiction outside the US so that he could be tortured to gain intelligence; and this was successful. Cain ordered the torture of her Cylon prisoner, Gina, to get intelligence; Gina became suicidal enough to give up critical intelligence about the nature of the Cylon Ressurection Ship.




Governor Sarah Palin = Lee Adama

Both are bright, promising young leaders who rise through the ranks quickly. Palin quickly progressed from city councilwoman to mayor to Governor, and may soon become Vice President. Lee Adama started his military career as an arrogant pilot, but was quickly given command of the Galactica's air wing and went on to command the Battlestar Pegasus. Governor Palin is best known for taking on corruption in her own party, and has already defied running mate John McCain on drilling in ANWAR and pulling the campaign out of Michigan. Similarly, Lee Adama has a strong moral compass, openly defying President Roslin by committing her to hold elections:

Apollo: Madam President, with respect, you're serving out the remainder of President Adar's term. When that term is up in seven months, the law says there's an election. I o­nly committed you to obeying the law. Roslin: You are not authorized to make any deal... Adama: You sound like some kind of a lawyer... Apollo: I swore an oath... to defend the articles. The articles say there's an election in seven months. Now, if you're telling me we're throwing out the law, then I'm not a Captain, you're not a Commander and you are not the President. And I don't owe either of you a damned explanation for anything.

Lee Adama went on to make enemies of both his father and President Roslin by participating in the defense of Gaius Baltar.

Senator John McCain = Admiral William Adama


Both are veteran pilots of a prior war that now find themselves setting policy and strategy. Although fierce and determined, there are some lines they will not cross to accomplish their missions. McCain opposes waterboarding and similar arguably cruel, inhuman and degrading forms of interrogation. Adama talked Roslin out of stealing an election and often acts as her conscience, and defied Admiral Cain when she convicted two of Galactica's crew for murder (despite the fact that the "victim" had been raping a prisoner at the time he was killed). Adama and McCain also both have failed first marriages.